Colman, Ruffalo among 1,500 film workers to boycott Israeli cinemas
The signatories included British actors Aimee Lou Wood, Josh O'Connor and Tilda Swinton, American actors Ayo Edebiri and Cynthia Nixon, and filmmakers Ken Loach and Yorgos Lanthimos.
Thousands rally in Morocco at pro-Palestinian protest
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Morocco's capital on Sunday against the conflict in the Gaza Strip where Israel has resumed its anti-Hamas offensive after a two-month ceasefire.Saudi stocks take 5-year record fall, plunge nearly 7% after US tariffs spark global market turmoil
Other Gulf markets also took a dive, reflecting global trends as countries around the world grapple with Trump's shock tariffs affecting US allies and rivals alike.Qatar’s ‘Hit Show’ wins $12 million Dubai World Cup
Dubai, UAE -- Qatar's 'Hit Show' triumphed in the 2025 Dubai World Cup's main event at Meydan, the pinnacle of global horse racing. In the $12 million Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup, Hit Show, owned by Wathnan Racing, ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Brad Cox, prevailed over eight...Tens of thousands march in US against Trump ‘devastation’
Opponents of the Republican president's policies -- from government staffing cuts to trade tariffs and eroding civil liberties -- rallied in Washington, New York, Houston, Florida, Colorado and Los Angeles, among other locations. "I am so angry, I'm so mad, all the time, yes. A bunch of privileged, white alleged...Macron to hold summit with Egyptian, Jordanian leaders as Israel pushes to seize Gaza territory
Meanwhile, a video recovered from the cellphone of an aid worker killed in Gaza alongside other rescuers shows their final moments, with clearly marked ambulances and emergency lights flashing as heavy gunfire erupts.Research on multiple sclerosis wins ‘Oscars of science’
Stephen Hauser and Alberto Ascherio were recognized for their decades researching the debilitating neurodegenerative disease, which affects nearly three million people worldwide and was long considered an impenetrable enigma.Syrian government says studying Amnesty report on massacres
Syria's government said late Friday it was "closely following" the findings of a new Amnesty International report urging an investigation into sectarian massacres last month.Trump’s global tariff takes effect in dramatic US trade shift
US President Donald Trump's widest-ranging tariffs to date took effect Saturday, in a move which could trigger retaliation and escalating trade tensions that could upset the global economy.‘I don’t have a voice in my head’: Life with no inner monologue
Paris, France - Mel May only realised she was different while reading a news article one day. "Wait, what? Some people hear a voice in their head?" she thought at the time.She was stunned to discover that this was not just a figure of speech -- her friends were actually chatting...Israel expands ground offensive in Gaza city, dozens killed as fighting engulfs Shujaiya neighborhood
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army was dividing Gaza and "seizing territory" to force Hamas to free the remaining Israeli hostages taken captive during the October 2023 attack that sparked the war.TikTok’s US future uncertain
It must find non-Chinese owner to avoid ban.Pausing production, raising prices: Automakers shift gears after Trump tariffs
Paris, France -- Automakers have already started to adapt to the 25-percent tariff imposed on car imports by US President Donald Trump, from pausing production to raising prices or halting certain models. The additional levy came into effect on Thursday and applies to all cars that are not manufactured in...Stocks, oil slump as China retaliates and Trump digs in heels
Despite the market turmoil, Trump insisted: "my policies will never change". Wall Street stocks fell more than two percent at the start of trading, with the blue-chip Dow falling below 40,000 points for the first time since August, a day after the S&P 500 experienced its largest drop since the...First footage of James Cameron directed ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ revealed
Las Vegas, United States - Evil Na'vi. Giant volcanoes. Airborne boats. The first-ever footage from "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the sequel to two of the highest grossing movies of all time, was debuted at the CinemaCon event Thursday. Out this December, the film "expands the beautiful world of Pandora and...Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
Wall Street led a global markets bloodbath Thursday as countries around the world reeled from President Donald Trump's trade war, while the White House insisted the US economy will emerge victorious.Macron, on Egypt visit, to go near Gaza to show support for ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron will go to an Egyptian port near the Gaza Strip next week to highlight concerns over the conflict in the Palestinian territory, his office said Thursday.Trump’s tariffs on allies, China could shrink global merchandise trade volumes 1% in 2025, warns WTO
After Trump on Wednesday unveiled a blitz of harsher-than-expected levies aimed at countries around the globe, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala warned the measures would "have substantial implications for global trade and economic growth prospects".Hungary announces ICC withdrawal as Israel’s Netanyahu visits
Budapest, Hungary -- Hungary on Thursday said it will quit the International Criminal Court, just as its Prime Minister Viktor Orban hosted Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, whom the tribunal has accused of war crimes in Gaza. Hungary's announcement that it will start the year-long withdrawal process came as Orban welcomed...Saudi Arabia’s travel account surplus reaches nearly $13.27bn
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's tourism sector achieved a record surplus in the 2024 travel account, reaching SAR49.8 billion ($13.27bn), a 7.8% increase over 2023, according to a Tourism Ministry press release. The release said that this surge was fueled by a 13.8 percent increase in inbound visitor spending...Gaza rescuers say 25 killed in Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter
Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP more than 100 others wounded in the strike on Dar al-Arqam School in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City. That took the overall toll to at least 50,523 since Israeli onslaught on the territory in Oct 2023.Trump stings friends and foes alike in his tariffs war, countries eye trade talks
The tariff announcements rattled stock markets while safe haven gold hit a new record high, oil prices fell and the dollar slumped against other major currencies.China says opposes new US tariffs, vows ‘countermeasures’
China on Thursday said it "firmly opposes" sweeping new US tariffs on its exports and vowed "countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests".US university calls for release of detained Turkish student
New York, United States - Tufts University on Wednesday publicly backed its student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national detained by federal agents last week as part of US President Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. In a legal declaration signed by the Massachusetts university's president Sunil Kumar, Tufts demands...Israel’s Netanyahu arrives in Hungary, defying ICC warrant
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest early Thursday on his first trip to Europe since 2023 and in defiance of the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s arrest warrant against him.Military confrontation ‘almost inevitable’ if Iran nuclear talks fail, says French foreign minister
Western countries including the United States have long accused Iran of pursuing a nuclear weapon, which Tehran has denied, insisting that its enrichment activities are solely for peaceful purposes.World’s tiniest pacemaker is smaller than grain of rice
Paris, France -- Scientists said Wednesday they have developed the world's tiniest pacemaker, a temporary heartbeat regulator smaller than a grain of rice that can be injected and controlled by light before dissolving. While still years away from being tested in humans, the wireless pacemaker was hailed as a "transformative...Israel says expanding Gaza offensive to seize ‘large areas’
Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would bolster its military presence in the Palestinian territory to "destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure". The operation would "seize large areas that will be incorporated into Israeli security zones", he said in a statement, without specifying how much territory.Tesla Q1 sales sink 13 percent
The dip occurred amid lower production during factory upgrades.AD Ports Group 2024 revenue $4.70bn
The Group's EBITDA increased by 69 percent YOY.US senator smashes record with 25-hour anti-Trump speech
Washington, United States - A Democratic US lawmaker shattered a record for the longest speech in Senate history Tuesday, staying on his feet for more than 25 hours to deliver a fiery protest against President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional" actions. Senator Cory Booker's display of endurance -- to hold the floor...Turkish opposition calls for boycott over jailed students
The leader of Turkey's main opposition party has called for a boycott on Wednesday to protest the detention of students rallying in support of Istanbul's jailed opposition mayor.Trump’s sweeping tariffs spark fears of trade war, recession, and global economic instability
The threat of a trade war has caused increasing political ructions, with Canada's looming general election on April 28 set to be dominated by how to deal with Trump, who has also called for the United States to annex Canada.European Parliament approves aid package for Egypt, Jordan
Brussels, Belgium -- Members of the European Parliament have approved two proposals to provide Egypt and Jordan with loans worth €4 billion ($4.32 billion) and €500 million, respectively. The Parliament adopted the macro-financial assistance to Egypt with 452 votes in favor, 182 against and 40 abstentions. The proposal for Jordan...Ford’s US Q1 auto sales dip
But its Q1 figures exceed a forecast by EdmundsDigging for box office gold, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ hits cinemas
Paris, France -- With an A-list cast and a big budget, "A Minecraft Movie" releasing this week is hoping to follow in the slipstream of Super Mario Bros by turning a gaming phenomenon into a global cinema blockbuster. Critics have been given limited access to the film ahead of the...OpenAI says it raised $40 bn at valuation of $300 bn
San Francisco, United States - OpenAI on Monday said it raised $40 billion in a new funding round that valued the ChatGPT maker at $300 billion, the biggest capital-raising session ever for a startup. The infusion of cash comes in a partnership with Japanese investment giant SoftBank Group and "enables...Iran will have ‘no choice’ but to acquire nuclear weapons if attacked, Khamenei adviser to UNSC
The message was sent to the UN Security Council in a letter by Iran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani which condemned what he called "warmongering provocations".Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for president, handing her a five-year ban on running for office after convicting her over a fake jobs scheme.Hard-hitting drama ‘Adolescence’ to be shown in UK schools
London, United Kingdom - The Netflix drama "Adolescence", which has sparked widespread debate about the toxic and misogynistic influences young boys are exposed to online, is to be shown in UK secondary schools, officials said on Monday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met the creators of the show alongside charities...Le Pen’s French presidency bid in jeopardy after election ban
Paris, France -- A French court on Monday threw into severe doubt far-right leader Marine Le Pen's 2027 bid for president, handing her a five-year ban on running for office after convicting her over a fake jobs scheme. She was also given a four-year prison term by the Paris court...Trump puts world on edge as ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs loom
Trump kept rivals and allies alike guessing about who would be targeted and by how much, but promised to be "very kind" when addressing what he has dubbed "Liberation Day" on Wednesday. Global stocks remained volatile ahead of the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," which Trump says are necessary to combat unfair...Vanke reports annual loss of $6.8 bn
The property giant attributes loss to falling sales and shrinking profit.Trump says ‘there will be bombing’ if Iran fails to make ‘peace deal’
Trump's language represented a sharpening of his comment a few days earlier that if Tehran refused to negotiate a new nuclear agreement, "bad, bad things are going to happen to Iran."Trump says ‘very angry, pissed off’ with Putin over Ukraine
"If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia's fault... I am going to put secondary tariffs on all oil coming out of Russia," Trump said.Netanyahu offers Hamas leaders Gaza exit but demands group disarm amid strikes on the Palestinian territory
A senior Hamas official stated on Saturday that the group had approved a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators and urged Israel to support it.Turkey opposition pushes for early polls as Swedish reporter jailed
Istanbul, Turkey -- The Turkish opposition on Sunday worked to keep up the momentum of the protest movement triggered by the Istanbul mayor's arrest by pushing for early elections as well as his release, with a Swedish reporter the latest detained in a government crackdown. The arrest on March 19...Qatar’s Producer Price Index for Feb down 0.33 percent year-on-year
Doha, Qatar -- Qatar's general Producer Price Index (PPI) for the industrial sector for February recorded 114.01 points, showing stability compared to January, but reflecting a decrease of 0.33 percent compared to the same month in 2024. The PPI for the industrial sector is composed of four main sectors: mining...‘Day of funerals,’ Gazans mark grim Eid under Israeli strikes
At dawn, many Gazans gathered across different parts of the territory to offer traditional morning Eid prayers, an AFP correspondent reported. Some unrolled their prayer mats in the streets amid the rubble, while others prayed inside mosques -- including the once-majestic Omari Mosque, whose walls have now collapsed under the...First orbital rocket launched from Europe crashes seconds after blast-off
Oslo, Norway -- The first orbital rocket launched from continental Europe crashed seconds after blast-off Sunday, in a closely watched test for the continent's bid to build a new space economy. The Spectrum rocket, developed by German start-up Isar Aerospace, started smoking from its sides, then crashed back to Earth...Morocco ‘water highway’ averts crisis in big cities but doubts over sustainability
Morocco is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on tapping northern rivers to supply water to parched cities farther south but experts question the sustainability of the project in the face of climate change.